Last Modified: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 10:49 p.m.

Photo Galleries

The 1,130-pound manatee, fitted with a satellite tracking device, swam immediately out into a group of manatees in the surrounding water.

The manatee was rescued from the St. Johns River a year ago after being hit by a boat and suffering from cold stress, said Monica Ross, a behavioral ecologist with Sea2Shore Alliance, a nonprofit that will track Slip and monitor his well-being.

Slip was born in captivity at Sea World in 1991, the son of Marina and Gene. He was released to the wild for the first time in January 2010, under a federal mandate that rehabilitation facilities release long-captive manatees capable of surviving on their own. However, after 23 months, Slip was rescued because he had been hit by a boat and was suffering from cold stress, Ross said.

When SeaWorld's animal care staff believes a manatee has recovered, they consult with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to decide when and where to release the manatee, said John Peterson with SeaWorld.

At SeaWorld, the 9-foot, 8-inch Slip was eating four to five cases of romaine lettuce a day, about 100-150 pounds, Peterson said. On Wednesday morning, Slip weighed 1,130 pounds.

Slip was accompanied on his trip to Blue Spring Wednesday morning by a large group of SeaWorld staff members who could help carry the hefty sea cow down into the water.

As soon as he was released, a couple of dozen manatees seemed to cluster around, curious about all the commotion at the water's edge.

For those who have long been involved in rehabilitation and rescue, it was sort of like old home week.

“There's Lillith.”

“There's Kathy.”

“Stormy is out there.”

“So's Lily.”

“It's nice to see all these animals we've already rehabilitated,” said Randy Reynolds, a veteran of SeaWorld's manatee team. “That's what it's all about. It's really rewarding to see these animals do well.”

About 136 manatees were counted in the park's spring run Wednesday morning, said Wayne Hartley, a retired park ranger who is now with Save the Manatee Club.

The number of manatees that visit the Blue Spring run each winter to seek refuge from the colder waters of the St. Johns River has steadily climbed since Hartley first started counting 30 years ago.

So far this season, Hartley said he has identified at least 458 individual manatees and counted 52 calves, including one born at the park three days ago.

Judy Ward, a visitor from Raleigh, N.C., was delighted her visit to the park coincided with a manatee release. “This is a thrilling experience,” she said. “This is the second time I've happened on one.”

To track Slip's movements in the river, visit Sea2Shore's time-delayed tracking site at http://public.wildtracks.org/welcome .

To see manatees at Blue Spring via your computer, visit the Save the Manatee Club's web cam at http://www.savethemanatee.org/savethemanateecam.html .

<p>Slip, a 21-year-old manatee who spent the last year in rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando, was released Wednesday morning at Blue Spring State Park.</p><p>The 1,130-pound manatee, fitted with a satellite tracking device, swam immediately out into a group of manatees in the surrounding water.</p><p>The manatee was rescued from the St. Johns River a year ago after being hit by a boat and suffering from cold stress, said Monica Ross, a behavioral ecologist with Sea2Shore Alliance, a nonprofit that will track Slip and monitor his well-being.</p><p>Slip was born in captivity at Sea World in 1991, the son of Marina and Gene. He was released to the wild for the first time in January 2010, under a federal mandate that rehabilitation facilities release long-captive manatees capable of surviving on their own. However, after 23 months, Slip was rescued because he had been hit by a boat and was suffering from cold stress, Ross said. </p><p>When SeaWorld's animal care staff believes a manatee has recovered, they consult with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to decide when and where to release the manatee, said John Peterson with SeaWorld.</p><p>At SeaWorld, the 9-foot, 8-inch Slip was eating four to five cases of romaine lettuce a day, about 100-150 pounds, Peterson said. On Wednesday morning, Slip weighed 1,130 pounds.</p><p>Slip was accompanied on his trip to Blue Spring Wednesday morning by a large group of SeaWorld staff members who could help carry the hefty sea cow down into the water. </p><p>As soon as he was released, a couple of dozen manatees seemed to cluster around, curious about all the commotion at the water's edge. </p><p>For those who have long been involved in rehabilitation and rescue, it was sort of like old home week.</p><p>“There's Lillith.”</p><p>“There's Kathy.”</p><p>“Stormy is out there.” </p><p>“So's Lily.” </p><p>“It's nice to see all these animals we've already rehabilitated,” said Randy Reynolds, a veteran of SeaWorld's manatee team. “That's what it's all about. It's really rewarding to see these animals do well.” </p><p>About 136 manatees were counted in the park's spring run Wednesday morning, said Wayne Hartley, a retired park ranger who is now with Save the Manatee Club.</p><p>The number of manatees that visit the Blue Spring run each winter to seek refuge from the colder waters of the St. Johns River has steadily climbed since Hartley first started counting 30 years ago. </p><p>So far this season, Hartley said he has identified at least 458 individual manatees and counted 52 calves, including one born at the park three days ago. </p><p>Judy Ward, a visitor from Raleigh, N.C., was delighted her visit to the park coincided with a manatee release. “This is a thrilling experience,” she said. “This is the second time I've happened on one.” </p><p>To track Slip's movements in the river, visit Sea2Shore's time-delayed tracking site at http://public.wildtracks.org/welcome .</p><p>To see manatees at Blue Spring via your computer, visit the Save the Manatee Club's web cam at http://www.savethemanatee.org/savethemanateecam.html .</p>